“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth, find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ~ Rachel Carson (Author of Silent Spring)
A Nature Awakening for Mindfulness and Personal Growth
We talk about it every day on this show, so why Mindfulness?
Because life is more complete, more beautiful, poignant and worthwhile when you are awake.
One of the best ways to make this happen is to set an intention and then do whatever it takes to set yourself up for success by putting yourself in places and situations that help you achieve mindfulness. For me that is spending time in and around Nature and the natural world.
This could be walking the dogs and being observant of the world around me, hiking or climbing a mountain trail, journaling in a meadow or forest under a tree, or simply listening to nature sounds on my phone as I meditate or fall asleep at night.
Nature helps us find a natural state of mindfulness, and we need more of it.
What is it about Nature that is so good for us and helps us be mindful, aware and in the moment?
For one, its about Nature’s ability to slow us down, help ground us, and remind us of what is really important in life. It has an amazing way of sharpening the saw while sharpening our senses.
I have found that when something is weighing on my mind or I have an important decision to make, taking some time to immerse myself in the wild really helps clear my head. It sharpens my thoughts and keeps me focused on what’s important.
There is a restful side of Nature, but there is also an energizing, enlivening, awakening side of the Wild that calls to the deepest part of us to wake up and appreciate life like nothing else can.
Why Personal Growth?
Because life means growth and growth means life. Everything in the Universe is either growing or dying…
So where does the Nature Awakening come in to play in all this?
From time out of mind, we as human beings were a part of the natural world, living off the land, connecting with nature on a day-to-day basis, sometimes fighting against it for survival, but always depending on it for sustenance. Without it we wouldn’t have been able to survive.
And neither can we now. We just don’t realize it. That’s because we have fallen asleep.
Over the past few hundred years or so, as the Industrial Revolution rolled in, we slowly migrated farther and farther away from our beloved Mother Earth, and began relying more and more on technology for making a living and making a life.
We lost the art of reading the land, listening to the rhythms of nature and basking in the beauty and benefits of the natural world.
We forfeited the native wisdom that comes from being an indigenous people, and have begun relying solely on technology instead of terra firma. Falling asleep to the hum of radios, ringtones, and robots, we’ve cast away the beautiful whir of the wild and our true inner being.
As a result, we’ve become numb and dull to the moment. We are easily distracted and find it hard to stay focused for any given length of time. We check our phones and Facebook and emails like a hunter checks his traps, waiting for the next big catch.
The end result? In a word, we have become mindless.
Join us for today’s show to learn more…
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